As the rising sun greeted him, Liu Yutang was filled with excitement. According to the intelligence passed from Liu Siyes, the opposing vessel carried no weapons, its greatest asset thus far being its towering hull.
However, he didn't give much thought to the enemy's sudden decision to halt and prepare for a desperate struggle. After all, ahead lay the Wanli Shitang, a place of treacherous currents and submerged reefs. Even the most seasoned helmsmen dared not push their sails to their fullest here.
"Everyone, stay alert! Once the ships draw near, use your grappling hooks to seize them, then board for close combat. Be careful not to damage my treasures!"
Though the battle had only just begun, he already considered the dozen or so large vessels his own.
"Yes, sir!"
Liu Yutang's sailors, with eerie grins, began to organize their equipment.
Everyone was eager for battle, none realizing that a crisis was silently creeping towards them.
"General, these wild monkeys seem to be planning a boarding action! Perhaps we should let them come aboard?"
Watching the eager Jiaozhi men, a sailor beside Zhe Shijiu chuckled sinisterly.
"Let them come aboard for what? Look at their dark skins, what use are they alive? And their tattered clothing – I don't care for a scrap of their meager flesh. When they get a bit closer, hit them directly with the Babian Nu!"
Zhe Shijiu shot him an exasperated look and retorted irritably, "Let them come aboard for what? Look at their dark skins, what use are they alive? And their tattered clothing – I don't care for a scrap of their meager flesh. When they get a bit closer, hit them directly with the Babian Nu!"
"But aren't heads considered military merit?"
"Military merit, you fool! Have you forgotten that we are no longer living by the army's standards?"
At his words, the surrounding sailors suddenly remembered. That's right, they weren't serving in the army anymore. What use were heads now? It was cleaner to simply kill them and toss them into the sea!
"Damn it, I forgot about that..."
As they spoke, several soldiers quickly adjusted the angles of the Babian Nu.
These siege crossbows had a maximum range of fifteen hundred paces, but for their greatest power, they were best employed within five hundred paces.
The powerful bowstrings, made from six strands of sinew twisted together, were almost as thick as a man's little finger even when fully drawn.
Even with specialized winches to draw the strings, the creaking sound each time was enough to make one's heart pound.
"Cover the red cloth. Don't scare away my fish!"
Seeing the enemy ships still two li away, yet his men were already preparing to reveal their weapons, Zhe Shijiu loudly reprimanded them.
"Yes, sir!"
Reminded, the signal soldiers hastily conveyed his orders via flag signals to each vessel.
"Drop anchor, turn the ships broadside, don't let these sons of bitches escape!"
As the distance between the two sides closed within eight hundred paces, Zhe Shijiu grinned sinisterly again.
The Jiaozhi men's ranged weapons were, at most, their own crude bows. At sea, especially beyond a hundred paces, these had very little killing power.
In contrast, their Babian Nu alone were sufficient to send the enemy into the sea.
Even if their accuracy wasn't great, at a distance of three hundred paces, a ship this large, firing eight bolts at once, would surely land one or two hits regardless of how poor the aim.
The Jiaozhi ships lacked watertight compartments. Once a hole was pierced, their only fate was to sink.
"I wonder where these wild monkeys got the courage to challenge us!"
As the distance between the two sides continued to shrink, the sailors around Zhe Shijiu's vessel began to have flushed faces.
"What else could it be? Wealth moves the heart, men die for wealth, birds die for food! Everyone, be ready. Do not reveal the Babian Nu until we are within three hundred paces!"
This was their true trump card. Zhe Shijiu was unwilling to reveal it until the moment of decisive blow.
"Pass down the order: the first person to board will be rewarded with ten beautiful female slaves and three hundred mu of prime farmland!"
As the distance closed to within five hundred paces, the Song soldiers on deck began to form organized ranks. Liu Yutang shouted excitedly.
They had the advantage of the wind, as well as a significant numerical superiority. Moreover, his sailors were seasoned in such endeavors; they were old hands at killing and looting.
Gazing at the towering merchant ships, he was already envisioning himself sailing them across the four seas.
"Four hundred paces!"
"Three hundred and fifty paces!"
On the deck of the Song warship, soldiers responsible for calculating the distance continuously shouted the measurements.
Everyone held their breath, awaiting the final command!
"Three hundred paces!"
"Give them a taste of our might!"
At Zhe Shijiu's command, the soldiers on all the merchant ships suddenly ripped off the red cloths covering the Babian Nu.
"Not good! Accelerate, quickly! Accelerate!"
Upon clearly seeing what was on the enemy ships, Liu Yutang was instantly struck by terror.
Even he, foolish as he was, now understood that this was a trap. They had deliberately lured him here.
However, having reached this point, they could only fight desperately.
With the wind in their favor now, turning back would mean sailing against it, especially since they were already in the deep sea.
They had been sailing for a day and a night away from the coastline. Under the terrifying range of the Babian Nu, attempting to flee back was a foolish fantasy.
"Hummm—"
Amidst Zhe Shijiu's eerie laughter, the iron spears, as thick as a child's forearm, from the Baian Nu that had been poised for action, transformed into venomous dragons, hurtling towards the Jiaozhi warship before them.
"Bang—"
With a deafening roar, the leading fire ship was struck by two iron spears. Under the fierce impact, its crude hull was almost instantly ripped open by two massive black holes. Within moments, it silently sank beneath the waves.
And the same fate was being inflicted upon others, one after another...
"Damn it, why do they have Babian Nu? Why do their merchant ships have Babian Nu!"